Majid Michel (nicknamed Shaker, born 22 September 1980) is a Ghanaian actor who has received nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2017. He eventually won the award in 2012 after three previous consecutive nominations.

Michel was born in Cantonments, a suburb of the Ghanaian capital Accra. The son of a Lebanese father and a Ghanaian mother, he grew up in Accra with his nine siblings. He attended St. Theresa’s Primary School, and later, the Mfantsipim School, the alma mater of Van Vicker and also of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In secondary school, Michel was actively involved in theater and was a member of the school’s Drama Club. As a member of the drama club, he received a Best Actor Award in one of their performances on Emancipation Day in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Michel entered professional acting by auditioning for a modelling agency. He starred in the television series Things We Do for Love, acquiring his nickname “Shaker” on the set. His role on Things We Do for Love was to be played by a Lebanese boy, and Michel attributes being given the role due to his Lebanese heritage. In a 2017 interview with Star FM Ghana. Majid explained that he didn’t get the role for the first film he auditioned due to poor acting from him, describing his “passion for acting” as what made him to continue to press forward in the film industry.

Things We Do for Love became a success and propelled him into the mainstream. On the strength of his performance in the series, he was cast in his first movie, Divine Love, as the male lead, alongside Jackie Aygemang as the female lead, with Van Vicker in a supporting role. All three used their roles in the movie to debut their movie careers. Divine Love was a huge success, turning Majid Michel, Jackie Agyemang and Van Vicker into household names across Ghana.

In 2008 Michel starred as the lead role in the film Agony of the Christ, which received seven nominations at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009. In October 2017, Majid revealed that he is paid at least $15,000 for a role in a film, he also disclosed that he has earned as much as $35,000 to star in a film. Also in 2016, Majid explained that despite playing mostly romantic roles in films, he has never had a sexual relationship with an actress.

Michel is one of the Ghanaian actors who got into the film industry during the period in which Frank Rajah Arase signed a contract with Ghana’s Abdul Salam Mumuni of Venus Films. The contract basically involved introducing Ghanaian actors into the mainstream Nollywood film industry and making them have a star power comparable to Nigerian actors. Films produced under this contract which featured Michel include: Crime to Christ (2007), Agony of Christ (2008), Heart of Men (2009), The Game (2010) and Who Loves Me?(2010) amongst others.

In 2012, he starred in the War film Somewhere in Africa, playing a tyrant. Though the film didn’t do well critically, Michel’s role delivery got him wide acclaim, and he won an Africa Movie Academy Award for the first time. This launched his career once again in Nigeria where he has since established himself as a star and has been featured in mainstream Nigerian films. In 2014, he co-starred in the all-time blockbuster 30 Days in Atlanta for which he got listed by Nigerian Cinema Exhibition Coalition as one of the highest box office grosser of 2014. Other 2014 films featuring Michel include: Forgetting June, which was met with generally negative reviews. He however featured in Knocking on Heaven’s Door and Being Mrs Elliot, both of which had decent performance, commercially and critically.

Majid is married and has three children. On November 19, 2015 he revealed that his wife of 10 years was responsible for his success. And he references only God before her. He renewed his marriage vows in the same year.

Majid is a born again Christian. On October 4 2016, he was a guest minister at a local church where he shared the word and performed deliverance on people.

From the entire Enjoy Accra family, we wish Majid a happy birthday month!